Tracy Tappan Interview~Giveaway

Tracy Tappan

Describe your books in 3 words?
Mutiny. Hunger. Rebirth.

If you could be any character from one of your books who would it be?
Hmm, what would it be like to be a strong male…? Probably my hero, Jaċken, although I wouldn’t want his past.

What is your greatest fear about being an author publishing your book(s)?
Mediocrity.

Would the 10 year-old version of yourself kick your butt or praise you for what you've accomplished in life?
I think 10-year-old me would be pretty amazed at who I am today. Being a writer was never in the grand plan, but, oh, how beautifully it’s all worked out. I adore what I do!

What do you do when you finish your book and turn it in to the editor?
Move on to the next book or project. I write in three romance genres—paranormal, military suspense, and historical—plus I create monthly “sessions” for my website, The Character Couch. Then there is all the marketing that is required when an author is an entrepreneur. There is never time to rest (well, except at the end of the day with a glass of wine).

What is your favorite genre and why?
I love all of the genres I write in. For paranormal, it’s so wickedly fun to be able to establish a set of World Rules, and then make my characters have to break them for their emotional or physical survival. Of course, they can’t break them, since these are Rules, so it generates some great angst and tension. For Historical, traveling back in time fulfills a cool fantasy of mine, and for Military Suspense, I love being able to bring the powerful experiences I’ve had as a military wife to the page.

What is one thing that would surprise us to know about you?
I used to clothespin a bath towel around my neck and “fly” around the house, playing super heroes with my young son. Admittedly, now he has a great imagination.

Was there an author who inspired you to write?
No one in particular necessarily inspired me, but I certainly aspire to be as great as some of my most-respected favorites—JR Ward, Suzanne Brockmann, Ilona Andrews, to name a few.

How did you come up with the characters in your books?
I came up with the idea for the story first. I thought it would be very problematic to bring a hero and heroine together when the heroine has been kidnapped, is being held against her will indefinitely, and told she is living among a different species of human beings. I love seemingly insurmountable problems in stories like these. The characters just formed themselves from there.

Do you prefer to write alone or do you like to collaborate with other authors?
I’ve never collaborated, so it’s difficult for me to give a preference. I’m open to anything, though.

Everyone uses computers, tablets, phones and no one uses handwritten form or typewriters, what do you prefer to use?
I use two, side-by-side computers in my home office—one which is hooked into the Internet for research, and the other is just for writing, free of potential Internet viruses. I love the setup. My desk is by a window, so I have someplace to stare when I’m contemplating my characters’ next moves.

Is there a ritual you do before you begin your book?
I usually practice some phrasings to get my mind into “creative” mode. Not too long…don’t want to burn daylight.

What was your greatest moment since publishing?
When I found out that the first book in my paranormal series, THE BLOODLINE WAR, won the Independent Publishers Book Award Bronze Medal for romance, I was ecstatic. The IPPY is the largest book competition in the world, and since this is my debut novel, the award felt like a strong confirmation that I’m in the right business.

When writing your characters, do you picture someone specific that you take their features from (eg. actor/actresses) or do you pull looks from the air?
Everything comes from this crazy ol’ brain of mine.

Fast Fairy Questions

Apple or Windows? 

WINDOWS

Dog or Cat? 

DOG

Pepsi or Coke? 

NEITHER; WATER

Facebook or Twitter? 

FACEBOOK

Summer or Winter? 

WINTER

Fairies or Angels? 

FAIRIES (of course, girl!)

Dark or Light Fae? 

DARK FAE

Vampires or Werewolves? 

VAMPIRES

Amazon or Barnes and Noble? 

AMAZON

Funny or Serious? 

FUNNY

Print or E-book? 

ugh, I really want to say BOTH here

Eyes or Smile? 

Oiy, I have to chose?!

Dream spot to visit? 

ANYPLACE NEW!

Comment (w/email) for a chance to win SWAG or EBook of The BloodLine War (from Amazon)

Giveaway is open until 8/4